


So Bright (Gotta Wear Shades)

by fannishliss



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Multi, One Big Happy Family, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, happy happy joy joy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5147888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannishliss/pseuds/fannishliss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint goes to the big concert at Carnegie Hall and it's a really great night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	So Bright (Gotta Wear Shades)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a post-Civil War story after the dust settles and everyone is besties even more so than ever before. Totally a self-indulgent piece where I just wanted everyone to be exquisitely happy. 
> 
> Please let me know in comments what YOUR favorite Marvel characters would be doing in the ideal Post Civil War universe!!! (even if it's totally the opposite of what I have them doing here!)

The civil war is over.  
  
Steve and Tony have tearfully embraced on live television, like old sitcom brothers reunited for the twentieth anniversary special.  
  
The rights of Humans, enhanced Humans, and Inhumans, have all been ratified into the World Council of Governments charter going forward, and the United Nations collectively heaved a sigh of relief, wondering why their own charter, signed so long ago, wasn’t good enough.  
  
The Avengers, West Coast Avengers, Defenders, and even the New Gods, have received their accolades and solemnly signed the universal oath: to protect the citizens of Earth, but above all, to respect the dignity of every thinking being.    
  
Genosha and Attilan have been recognized by the UN and the WCG, and their ambassadors have been honored at fetes all around the world.    
  
But this is the night Clint has been waiting for.  
  
He’s just this guy, see.  His tastes are simple.  He likes beer, he likes pizza, and he’s a hell of a good shot.  He wants to live in a place where he knows his neighbors.  He wants a world where little guys like he used to be don’t have to cringe in fear of people bigger than they are.  He’s proud to be an Avenger at the dawn of this new, golden age, proud that he’s been able to fight for what’s right and to lay down arms, and things have worked out for the best.    
  
Tonight, he’s brought Laura and the kids, and Kate is here and she’s brought all her super buddies.  
  
Clint has this idea that this whole thing should be taking place in a high school auditorium, with the basketball hoops raised up and half the crowd sitting in the bleachers.  But no.  They’re in good old Carnegie Hall, because that means something too, and the show is being recorded for delayed broadcast around the world.  No pressure, huh.    
  
Steve’s been painting, secretly, ever since he got out of the ice, and his paintings are hung in the lobby and they’ll be showing them later on in the evening. His work is terrific, unlikely, unexpected — half throwback to the constructivists of his youth, and half skip forward past the gimmicks of the postmodern era.  Steve has a sarcastic streak a mile wide, once you really get to know him, but he’s utterly sincere, and he has the biggest heart of any guy Clint ever met.   His art makes you cry, and smile through the tears, and cry some more.  It’s beautiful.    
  
The show is opening now.  The music is swelling — strange, brilliant music composed by the Vision, both human and superhuman by turns.  Galaxies are swirling in that music and little seeds are sprouting, birds and whales sing out and pulsars beckon.  The audience is stunned.  
  
Then Bruce comes out and plays the sitar.  He plays two pieces, then for the third, five of Xavier’s youngest come out and dance, impossible dances rooted in the oldest traditions of humanity.  Clint stands in the wings and tries to breathe as the young mutants do their incredible things.  Everything tonight is so amazing.    
  
And now it’s his turn.  Everyone knows he learned archery in the circus, but not everyone realizes that he also learned how to teach animals to do tricks.  He walks out on stage with Lucky and that whip smart dog has the whole crowd in stitches, gasping in amazement and laughing at his tricks, while Clint barely moves, communicating with the dog in subtle signs, short whistles and glances.  It’s comic relief, and for a guy who’s made it his life’s work to see and not be seen, Clint enjoys the hell out of it.    
  
Tony and Pepper come out and Tony gives his little speech, all about the new golden age, blah blah.  Tony only talks for three minutes, renews his promise to solve the energy and food and health problems of the world.  Pepper smiles and looks serene. Tony stops talking and Pepper takes the mic.  
  
“Thank you, all of you, for ushering in this new world, where we can all celebrate who we are.  Some of us were born this way, others were made.  But all of us are grateful for this life, and proud to be citizens of Earth each in our own unique way.”  
  
Then Pepper lifts her hands and lights up the stage, glowing behind her eyes and behind her sternum.  Tony must have built her dress himself.  The audience goes wild, leaping to their feet with ovation.  Tony and Pepper wave and smile their way off stage.    
  
Once into the wings, they collapse into each other’s arms.    
  
“I did good?” Tony is saying.  
  
“You did real good, Tony,” Pepper is reassuring him, and Clint isn’t looking their way.  He knows what it’s like. Clint is a little surprised at how gracefully Tony gave away the spotlight in tonight’s show, but he does have his new sculptures scattered around the building, and he’s in charge of the afterparty, so Clint guesses Tony is satisfied.    
  
Stage hands roll out a Steinway, and James Buchanan Barnes, formerly the world’s most feared assassin, strolls carelessly to the bench. He’s wearing a very sharp suit, not conservative at all, his hair is down, no tie, and his cuffs are rolled back to show their colors.  He starts playing, and Clint realizes he knows the song from a Marx Brothers movie.  Barnes is playing like a comedian, walking his fingers up and down the keys, twisting sideways on the bench and winking at the crowd.  Everyone is smiling and they clap wildly after the first song.  
  
The second song is also familiar; Clint checks the program and sees that it’s a movement from a Beethoven sonata.  The crowd is breathless as Barnes exploits the speed and dexterity of his artificial hand, but his artistic control is even more impressive, as he pours his passion into the piece.    
  
For the third piece, Steve comes out, takes a little bow, and sits to the right of Barnes at the bench.  They proceed to play Heart and Soul twice through, and the applause is thunderous when they stand and take their bow.    
  
Charles and Erik take the stage next, and together, they read a long piece of poetry while Steve’s paintings are projected across the backdrop.  War, peace, humanity, love, heartbreak and triumph — every citizen of the new united Earth can find something to celebrate in the evening’s program.  Charles and Erik call Steve out and they take their bows.    
  
The final act of the evening begins with Natasha dancing solo.  Clint knows how much she loves to dance, and hates it, but loves it more.  She is perfection en pointe, the epitome of strength and grace as she jumps and balances.  Then, to everyone’s surprise, Barnes appears.  Their costumes match, a collage of flame and darkness.  They dance like twins or like lovers,  and Clint knows that somewhere, Captain America is wiping tears from his eyes.  The music is another of the Vision’s compositions, and it metamorphoses from the traditional arrangements of nineteenth-century ballet into a more bombastic rock orchestra.  The young dancers from Xavier’s school come back onstage, and the dance merges Natasha and Bucky into a fluid corps, each dancer unique, yet all moving together in swirling harmony.    
  
When the dance comes to a close, the crowd roars and springs to its feet.  All the performers come back on stage to take their bows.  They line up and lift their hands and bow as one, and more than one of them are crying, but everyone is smiling.    
  
Finally, the stage empties, and Clint finds Natasha. Her green eyes are bright with happy tears. Bruce is standing shy behind her, but Clint can’t hold back his hugs.  
  
“I love you, Nat,” he says,  “you looked so beautiful tonight.  Congratulations.”  
  
“I love you too,” she says.  “You and Lucky were so great!”  
  
“Aw, no,” Clint says, “but it was for a good cause.”  
  
“The best,” Natasha says. It’s the new fund to help powered individuals come out, realize their potential, and take their place in the new world.    
  
Clint finds Laura and the kids, and Laura kisses him sweetly.    
  
“You were awesome,” she swears.  
  
“You just say that cause you’re my wife,” he says.  
  
“Nah, mainly I like your dog,” she says.  
  
“I’ll take it,” he shrugs.  The kids cram their way into their parents’ hug and Clint has to be one of the happiest guys in the world.  
  
“Who wants pizza?” Clint says.    
  
“Me!” chorus three little Bartons.    
  
“Cool! Tony’s buying!”  Clint says.    
  
There’s a big party at the Tower that night, the best party Clint’s been to in such a long time.  Thor and Loki and even Sif are there, Nick and Maria, Phil and May and their ducklings, and it’s such an amazing night.  
  
Pizza, shawarma, and all the caviar and Asgardian mead anyone can hold.  Rhodey and Wilson are having some kind of dance off to Uptown Funk you Up. They have each sworn that the next benefit should be an airshow.  Tony is game.  
  
Around midnight Tony calls together the pickup rock band he’s been rehearsing (he insists they’re called Starketships, but nothing is official.) Tony plays rhythm, and Pietro plays lead; Darcy plays bass; Scott Lang is on keyboards; and Wanda is thrashing on the drumset.    
  
Vision’s eyes won’t tear away from his girlfriend’s whirling sticks.  “She is so hot right now,” Clint hears him murmur in his posh, Jarvis-like voice, while Charles Xavier smiles and pats the arm of his glaring husband.    
  
Clint is maybe having the best night ever.  Starketships is playing an oldie from the 80s, so Clint grabs Laura, and she grabs Nat, and they all sing along: “The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.”  
  
Bucky is taking care to lead Steve in a slow boxstep.  Thor is laughing in a corner with his brother, wide smiles on both their faces.  Tony and Pepper are side by side, shmooozing with the Xavier-Lehnsherrs, and Phil and May are cutting the rug like they always do at these things. Bruce dips Natasha and blushes while she laughs.    
  
The future does look pretty damn bright.  

**Author's Note:**

> ... so what would YOUR favorite Marvel person be doing??? please comment!
> 
> The title is of course from this excellent song, which is pretty much 100% Tony :   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qrriKcwvlY


End file.
